Wrasse compatibility/Suggestion - New to Wrasses

[lagatbezan]

I have been in this hobby for over 25 years but have just recently started with wrasses (yes I know way too long) and need some help/suggestions.
Tank is 300g FOWLR with some snails.
Currently the only wrasses I have are a melanurus and a sixline. Other inhabitants in the tank are tangs, angels, butterfly's, pair of clowns and an orchid dottyback.
Thinking of adding some new wrasses...what do you guys recommend? perhaps some Fairy, flasher and/or leopards...

 

[Slocke]

I have been in this hobby for over 25 years but have just recently started with wrasses (yes I know way too long) and need some help/suggestions.
Tank is 300g FOWLR with some snails.
Currently the only wrasses I have are a melanurus and a sixline. Other inhabitants in the tank are tangs, angels, butterfly's, pair of clowns and an orchid dottyback.
Thinking of adding some new wrasses...what do you guys recommend? perhaps some Fairy, flasher and/or leopards...

Unfortunately melanurus and especially the sixline are two of the more territorial wrasse that don't make it easy to add other wrasse. You could try some of the bigger more aggressive fairies (see the chart I added). Leopards unfortunately are shy and easily bullied. I could give you suggestions for some tougher wrasse but they may eat your snails. What snails do you have?

 

[lagatbezan]

Unfortunately melanurus and especially the sixline are two of the more territorial wrasse that don't make it easy to add other wrasse. You could try some of the bigger more aggressive fairies (see the chart I added). Leopards unfortunately are shy and easily bullied. I could give you suggestions for some tougher wrasse but they may eat your snails. What snails do you have?

Thanks for the info. Yeah I read sixliners can be a pain. He was in the tank and a few month latter I added the Melanurus with the orchid dottyback and he didn't even look at the melanurus but chased the orchid for a day or two and gave up. I have a few Mexican turbo snails and a couple of fighting conch. Also I don't see a chart attached.

 

[Slocke]

Whoops.

Hmmm
Mexican turbos are not tough and good against wrasse but not sure about conch. You could look at a bluehead wrasse or Cortez wrasse. I love the dragon wrasse as it is a far more inquisitive fish. Final suggestion is a harlequin tuskfish or a smaller species of higfish.

 

[Slocke]

Whoops.

Hmmm
Mexican turbos are not tough and good against wrasse but not sure about conch. You could look at a bluehead wrasse or Cortez wrasse. I love the dragon wrasse as it is a far more inquisitive fish. Final suggestion is a harlequin tuskfish or a smaller species of higfish.

Forgot to say the dragon can be a menace and will move small objects around

 

[Cael Gallery]

I've always found fairies and flashers super overrated, i don't really get the appeal of them. I guess you can keep them in small tanks but i feel it's a bit of waste in a 300. I'd be putting some Coris species, mid sized or larger Halichoeres and maybe a couple Bodianus/Thalassoma/Gomphosus. That's just my preference though.

 

[i cant think]

I've always found fairies and flashers super overrated, i don't really get the appeal of them. I guess you can keep them in small tanks but i feel it's a bit of waste in a 300. I'd be putting some Coris species, mid sized or larger Halichoeres and maybe a couple Bodianus/Thalassoma/Gomphosus. That's just my preference though.

The main reason I love fairies is their appearance when on a background of coral. Also, you can’t beat their displays of vibrant colours.

However, in the OP’s tank you’d struggle to add fairies/flashers and not have issues. A lot of them will want lower activity levels (I’ve found many fairies/flashers to not do well with tangs). You’d mostly be looking at mostly the larger, boisterous fairies;
Scottorum
Melanomarginatus
Lineatus (maybe)
Tonozukai
Cyanogularis
Filamentosus

 

[Cael Gallery]

The main reason I love fairies is their appearance when on a background of coral. Also, you can’t beat their displays of vibrant colours.

However, in the OP’s tank you’d struggle to add fairies/flashers and not have issues. A lot of them will want lower activity levels (I’ve found many fairies/flashers to not do well with tangs). You’d mostly be looking at mostly the larger, boisterous fairies;
Scottorum
Melanomarginatus
Lineatus (maybe)
Tonozukai
Cyanogularis
Filamentosus

Every fairy (and especially flasher) i've ever seen in person has looked really boring compared to photos. Usually with fish they look way nicer in person but not in this case. They look nice in photos when they've got all their fins up, and are nice and bright but in person they swim with all fins folded, are really small and are usually quite dull. Plus i don't like their body shape, especially the head. I saw on the wrasse thread someone called Psuedocheilinus octotaena ugly, and at the same time people going on about how nice flashers are. I don't really get how P.octotaenia are ugly, imo they look heaps better than fairies. Just my 2 cents